US-based Princess Cruises announced three new shipbuilding agreements with Fincantieri on Wednesday, saying the newbuilds are slated for delivery in late 2035, 2038, and 2039, respectively.
According to the cruise operator, these new ships will build upon the Sphere Class platform and continue to leverage the latest guest-facing and marine technologies.
Similar to Sun Princess and Star Princess, the Voyager class ships will be dual-fuel powered – primarily by LNG, “the best readily available advanced fuel technology that delivers immediate GHG reductions, significantly reducing air emissions compared with other widely available conventional marine fuels,” Princess Cruises said.
The new ships, which will be the largest by capacity in the Princess Cruises fleet, will be built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
Princess Cruises said the value of these agreements, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, are considered “very important”, exceeding 2 billion euros.
Carnival’s LNG-powered fleet rises to 21 vessels
The agreements for Princess Cruises’ next-generation cruise ships represent what will be Carnival Corporation’s 19th, 20th, and 21st LNG-based vessels, the company noted.
These agreements are part of the company’s ongoing fleet enhancement strategy, aimed at “creating excitement in the vacation market while accelerating demand for cruising, the fastest growing segment in the vacation industry.”
In addition to these three ships scheduled for delivery in late 2035, 2038, and 2039, Carnival has seven additional new ships under contract that are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2033.
